Apparatus for producing sheeting

Abstract

The apparatus for producing sheeting includes a transport unit which transports a web of sheeting along its length direction, a pattern transfer unit which forms a pattern on a surface of the sheeting by transfer and that is provided in a pathway where the web of sheeting is transported by the transport unit, a film depositing unit which performs vacuum film deposition on the patterned surface of the web of sheeting and that is provided downstream of the pattern transfer unit in the pathway, and a pressure retaining unit which retains pressure within the film depositing unit and that is provided in a region of the film depositing unit into which the web of sheeting is transported and in a region of the film depositing unit from which the web of sheeting emerges.

1 . An apparatus for producing sheetings, comprising: 
 transport means for transporting a web of sheeting along its length direction;    pattern transfer means for forming an embossed pattern on a surface of said sheeting by transfer, said pattern transfer means being provided in a pathway where said web of sheeting is transported by said transport means;    film depositing means for performing vacuum film deposition on the patterned surface of said web of sheeting, said film depositing means being provided downstream of said pattern transfer means in said pathway; and    pressure retaining means for retaining pressure within said film depositing means, said pressure retaining means being provided in a region of said film depositing means into which said web of sheeting is transported and in a region of said film depositing means from which said web of sheeting emerges.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said transport means has delivery sub-means for delivering said web of sheeting from a roll of sheeting and take-up sub-means for taking up said web of sheeting on the surface of which the vacuum film deposition is performed.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said pattern transfer means comprises a transfer roller having up and down areas on its cylindrical surface that correspond to the embossed pattern to be transferred and a nip roller that cooperates with said transfer roller to hold said web of sheeting between the transfer and the nip rollers.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said transport means comprises a roll containing the sheeting, a shaft for rotatably supporting the roll, a delivery roller pair that delivers the sheeting as it is unwound from the roll, and a take-up roller that is rotated to rewind the sheeting into a roll form after the vacuum film deposition;    said pattern transfer means comprises a transfer roller provided in contact with a lower side of the sheeting where a film is to be deposited having an embossed surface and a nip roller which cooperates with the transfer roller to transfer the embossed pattern corresponding to the embossed surface to the sheeting;    said film depositing means comprises a vacuum chamber with a vacuum created therein by a vacuum pump, a resistance heater for heating a first substance to be deposited on the patterned surface, and an electron beam epitaxy apparatus configured to evaporate a second substance to be deposited on the patterned surface; and    said pressure retaining means comprises a pair of vacuum sealers.    
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein 
 said film depositing means further comprises a supply mechanism for supplying the second substance, the supply mechanism comprising:    a cylinder which penetrates the bottom of the vacuum chamber to protrude partially to the outside and is fixed to the outer wall surface of the vacuum chamber,    a piston having a cylindrical piston head which is loosely fitted into the cylinder and a piston pin whose top end is fixed to the piston head, the piston pin engaging an ascending/descending mechanism which causes the piston to either ascend or descend,    a casing enclosing an open end of the cylinder so that the interior of the vacuum chamber is kept airtight;    the ascending/descending mechanism configured to drive said piston up and down to supply the second substance to the vacuum chamber.    
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for producing sheetings, comprising 
 a transport mechanism, said transport mechanism comprising a roll containing the sheeting, a shaft for rotatably supporting the roll, a delivery roller pair that delivers the sheeting as it is unwound from the roll, and a take-up roller that is rotated to rewind the sheeting into a roll form film deposition;    a pattern transfer mechanism, said pattern transfer mechanism comprising a transfer roller provided in contact with a lower side of the sheeting where a film is to be deposited having an embossed surface and a nip roller which cooperates with the transfer roller to transfer an embossed pattern corresponding to the embossed surface to the sheeting;    a film depositing mechanism, said film depositing mechanism comprising a vacuum chamber with a vacuum created therein by a vacuum pump, a resistance heater for heating a first substance to be deposited on the patterned surface, and an electron beam epitaxy apparatus configured to evaporate a second substance to be deposited on the patterned surface; and    a pressure retaining mechanism, said pressure retaining mechanism comprising a pair of vacuum sealers.    
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein 
 said film depositing mechanism further comprises a supply mechanism for supplying the second substance, the supply mechanism comprising:    a cylinder which penetrates the bottom of the vacuum chamber to protrude partially to the outside and is fixed to the outer wall surface of the vacuum chamber,    a piston having a cylindrical piston head which is loosely fitted into the cylinder and a piston pin whose top end is fixed to the piston head, the piston pin engaging an ascending/descending mechanism which causes the piston to either ascend or descend,    a casing enclosing an open end of the cylinder so that the interior of the vacuum chamber is kept airtight;    the ascending/descending mechanism configured to drive said piston up and down to supply the second substance to the vacuum chamber.    
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said embossed pattern is a mechanical pattern.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said embossed pattern comprises an array of projections.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus in  claim 1 , wherein said embossed pattern has projections, and heights of the projections are between 0.2 μm and 40 μm.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said embossed pattern has projections, and spacing between the projections is between 0.2 μm and 40 μm.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said embossed pattern has projections, and a maximum diameter of the projections is between 0.2 μm and 40 μm.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said physical pattern is a mechanical pattern.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said embossed pattern comprises an array of projections.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said embossed pattern has projections, and heights of the projections are between 0.2 μm and 40 μm.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said embossed pattern has projections, and spacing between the projections is between 0.2 μm and 40 μm.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said embossed pattern has projections, and a maximum diameter of the projections is between 0.2 μm and 40 μm.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said film depositing means comprises a film deposition chamber in which said vacuum film deposition is performed, a transporting-in region that is said region of said film depositing means into which said web of sheeting is transported and an emerging region that is said region of said film depositing means from which said web of sheeting emerges,    said transporting-in region and said emerging region are provided in both sides of said film deposition chamber, respectively, and    said pattern transfer means is provided outside of said film deposition chamber.    
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein 
 said film depositing mechanism comprises a film deposition chamber in which said vacuum film deposition is performed, a transporting-in region into which said web of sheeting is transported and that has one of said pair of vacuum sealers and an emerging region from which said web of sheeting emerges and that has another of said pair of vacuum sealers,    said transporting-in region and said emerging region are provided in both sides of said film deposition chamber, respectively, and    said pattern transfer mechanism is provided outside of said film deposition chamber.    
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said firm depositing means deposits a patterned functional thin film on said embossed-pattern formed on said surface of said sheeting by said pattern transfer means in accordance with said embossed-pattern by said vacuum film deposition.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said film depositing mechanism deposits a patterned functional thin film on said embossed-pattern formed on said surface of said sheeting by said pattern transfer mechanism in accordance with said embossed-pattern by said film deposition.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said film depositing means deposits a patterned functional thin film by growing aligned columnar crystals on said embossed-pattern formed on said surface of said sheeting by said pattern transfer means in accordance with said embossed-pattern by said vacuum film deposition.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said film depositing means forms a patterned stimulable phosphor layer comprising a material containing phosphors and a material containing an activator on said embossed-pattern formed on said surface of said sheeting by said pattern transfer means in accordance with said embossed-pattern by said vacuum film deposition.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said film depositing means deposits a patterned stimulable phosphor layer comprising a material containing phosphors and a material containing an activator by growing aligned columnar crystals on said embossed-pattern formed on said surface of said sheeting by said pattern transfer means in accordance with said embossed-pattern by said vacuum film deposition.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said film depositing means deposits a patterned stimulable phosphor layer comprising a material containing phosphors and a material containing an activator by growing aligned columnar crystals straight on projections of said embossed-pattern that serve as bases and that are formed on said surface of said sheeting by said pattern transfer means in accordance with said embossed-pattern by said vacuum film deposition.